DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any recognizable characters, features, or anything regarding the Harry Potter series.

Sorry for updating 3 days later, I was busy with the Science Fair. So stressful! Anyway, here is another chapter with another cliffhanger! I'm so evil! :)

My next update should still be Sunday, December 11.

Chapter 3

Hermione and Draco stood there, staring at each other in amazement, before Hermione finally came to her senses. Dropping the numerous books in her arms, she tore past Malfoy and apparated before he could exchange even one word with her. But she knew that he saw her, and that he knew that it was her.

She couldn't believe this had happened to her! The one time she tries to reconnect with the Wizarding World, she runs into the person she hated the most during their Hogwarts years. Knowing Malfoy, he would probably be jumping up and down with glee with the news he would be able to tell Rita Skeeter. And then, her life would become hell if everyone tried to find her again. She lived in London; it was where the majority of the wizards were anyway. It had been so hard to cover her tracks up the first time, and she wasn't so sure it would hold up another time.

It became clear to her that after that little incident, there was no way she was going to attempt to get in contact with the Wizarding World again. Even though she had failed to obtain the information she wanted, it wasn't worth the risk to see Malfoy or anyone else. She was lucky that she was able to escape this time. Hermione wouldn't put it past Malfoy to anonymously tip Skeeter to have a stakeout in Flourish & Blotts until she showed up to retrieve all the books she had left on the floor in order to hastily exit. But she was smart enough not to fall in the same trap twice.

Since Hermione's plan had epically failed, she had just lost her last shred of hope. That was her one chance to prove that she was still a witch, but she had just shown that she wasn't part of the Wizarding World. No Gryffindor witch would have acted the way she did, on impulse, and then run away like a coward. And it broke her inside to know that that was the truth, but she couldn't pretend to be someone she wasn't. Biting her lip, she cried for the second time since her birthday. Tears fell down her cheeks, as she wrapped her arms around her knees, and buried her face into them, her still bushy hair falling all around her. It seemed like everything that happened made her weak, no matter how small. Weeping, she succumbed to her tired body, and fell asleep, wailing silently at her failure, something she hadn't experienced ever since she lost Ron and her heart.

Once again, Hermione rose from the floor at the break of dawn, her eyes red and her body brittle. It surprised Hermione though, that she had awaken earlier than most times. Even when it was weekdays, she always woke up near the afternoon, and therefore had to call in late. She always made up lame excuses, and she knew her co-workers didn't believe her, but she never interacted with them on a personal level. No one knew what she had been through, and although they worried about her, she couldn't open up to someone. She had already tried that once, and the result had broken her heart.

Because she had already woken up so early, she decided to go to work early as well, and maybe actually do what she was supposed to do on time. Brushing her teeth and taking a quick shower, she threw some random clothes on and chewed on a bagel and some coffee. Finishing them fast, she decided to walk to work. Usually she drove because she would be running late, but today she needed some fresh air to clear her head. It was only three miles to walk anyway.

As soon as she stepped outside her apartment building, she took a deep breath of the chilly air and sighed inwardly. She felt so lonely at times like this, but her life was just about to get more complicated. With her silent vow to leave the Wizarding World behind, it wouldn't be easy to predict what Malfoy would do, and she had no idea what to expect and how to prepare. How was she supposed to focus on anything else with the prospect of being ridiculed in the Wizarding World and the muggle one? She'd be left with no one; at least now she could look forward to seeing people who actually thought she mattered, even if it was just to help to save lives.

Nearing the hospital, she shook her head and interrupted her train of thought, she had to be immersed in her work if she was going to be productive. She walked inside, and she could tell she surprised Mrs. Phillips, the receptionist. Hermione was almost never on time, let alone early.

"Hello Mrs. Phillips," she replied, seeing the shocked expression on the lady's face.

"Why, hello, Hermione. What brings you so early?" Mrs. Phillips inquired.

Hermione muttered some lame response about how she had nothing to do, which was kind of the sad truth. She nodded her head once, and headed further into the wards. She was met with the same reaction from many of the nurses that she received from Mrs. Phillips, but she didn't take it personally. She knew that it was unusual.

Suddenly, a young nurse, Alice, she believed, rushed up to Hermione and urged her to quickly follow her. Becoming distressed, Hermione quickly moved along with Alice, as she explained the details. Apparently, a patient had collapsed outside of the hospital with blood running down his entire body about twenty minutes before Hermione had arrived. His left side was completely red, and he had suffered massive head injury as well as broken his left leg and several of his ribs. The chances of survival were slim, and he needed urgent care.

Hermione rushed into the emergency room, and stopped dead in her tracks as she realized who it was. There was no mistaking his features even though they were bloody- they had already been swimming in her head for what seemed forever. Never in her entire lifetime did she imagine she would see him ever again, yet she had already seen him twice in less than a week. Once again. . .

Draco Malfoy.

How was it? Please review, I can make another chapter quicker! It's fuel for us authors! :)